Harvester guard-finger



(No Model.)

B. S. SNYDER. Harvester Guard Pingexn- No. 251,436. A Patented May 10, was.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

THE NORRIS ravens co. PHOYCLLITNCL WASHINGTON. I:v c.

ELISHA S. SNYDER, OF SNYDERS MILLS,NVEST VIRGINIA.

HARVESTER GUARD-FINGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,436, dated May 10, 1881.

' Application filed March 11,1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELISHA S SNYDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Snyders Mills, in the county of J efl'erson and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Harvester Guard-Fingers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

-My invention relates to guard-fingers for reapers and mowers, and has for its object a saving of time usually required for grinding sickles.

My invention consists in a sectional guardfinger constructed with two reversible plates, eachhaving two cutting-edges, the said plates being arranged to engage with the sickleknives, and held in position by a removable top section, also provided with beveled edges, which may beutilize'd'by inserting a sickle having inverted knives," as will be hereinafter more fully described. V 1

In the accompanying drawing Figure l is a plan view with the top section removed; Fig. 2, a side view, partly in section; Fig. 3, a cross-view, partly sectional; Fig. 4., a perspective view of one of the plates, and Fig. 5 a viewot' front end of top section.

A represents a guard-finger for a'harvester, havinga removable top section, al which incloses the upper surface of the sickle-knives. Arranged underneath said section, and held down in position by the same, are a. pair of two-edged.plates, I) Z), which have their rear ends dovetailed between a small central lug, c, and two broader side projections, c, and their forward ends embedded in rectangular recesses d in the said finger, so that by lifting the forward ends up the plates may be easily withdrawn, inverted, and returned to position.

The plates bare made tapering, to correspond with the shape of the finger, and each has its two cutting-edges beveled upon opposite sides, so that either cutting-edge, no matter which side of the plate is uppermost, shall be adjacent to the cutting edge of the sickle. It will be seen, therefore, that the plates are not reversible. from side to side, but simply invertible upon one side each, which is the only method by which four available cutting-edges could be provided.

The rear ends of said plates, upon each ed gc, are provided with two oppositely-beveled recesses, b N, one in front of the other,tso that when the plate lies upon either side the hind- -most bevel on the inner edge and the foremost bevel on the outer edge shall dovetail between the central lug, c, and either side projection, c. The said cutting-edges are to be ground, and when the harvester is in use, to avoid the loss of time by grinding sickles, the said plates need only to be inverted, to do which requires only the removal of screw 6, which holds down the top section, a. This section is provided with lugs or stationary pins a on its under surface, which lit into recesses in the finger and. keep it from turning upon the screw. It is further provided with a bevel, a and recess a on its t'orwardend, WlliOllGll gage with a beveled log, a, and pin a on the upper end of the finger, whereby it is kept from either vertical or lateral move ment. The edges of this top section, which are adjacent to the sickle-knives, are beveled on the upper side, so as to form cutting-edges, which may be utilized by inserting a sickle having its knives inverted, by which additional cutting-edges are provided, and contact of the sickle with sand and earth is avoided.

In this manner, by having two sickles only, one with inverted knives, a harvester may be run two or three times, as long between the grinding of sickles as could be done without such a device; besides, there need be no delay for that purpose during the hours devoted to labor.

I am aware that a harvester guard-finger having a removable top plate has before been used. I therefore do not claim such a feature, broadly; but

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- p 1. A guardfingcr provided with a pair of two-edged invertible plates and a removable upper'plate having beveled edges, said parts being constructed and arranged substantially asshown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a guard-linger, a pair of invertible plates, 1), having their cutting-edges beveled upon opposite sides, and provided at their rear ends with two oppositely-beveled recesses, b I)", in combination with central lug, c, and side projections, c, substantially as shown and described.

ELISHA S. SNYDER.

Witnesses a A. G. LYNE,

SoLoN G. KEMON. 

